I've come over all Imperial: I've noticed that... - Bridge to 10K

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16,525 membersβ€’26,586 posts

I've come over all Imperial

β€’70 Replies

I've noticed that when people ask how far I've run and I say '8k' or whatever, they usually say 'very good' or something similar. If I add, 'that's 5 miles' or whatever, they are always much more impressed (maybe explains something about Brexit, that many Brits have never really got their heads around metric). So I thought, 'I would really like to say that I have run 10 miles', even if it's only once. Running these distances is time consuming, when you are slow as me.

It was only a vague musing when I wrote my goal on my family WhatsApp group, but when my Ultra and Ironman niece told me I was 'Badass' (rather than 'slowass'), the plan became a little more 'real'.

I had a bad night's sleep and probably was not hydrated enough (dinner and wine out last night). Felt anxious and spent more time than was really necessary faffing but I set off with the aim of 11 and a bit K's or 7 miles. The first 5ks were standard although at 3, I was ticking off a quarter at 4, a third etc. The headwind was a bit of a hindrance but kept me cool.

Then when I got to about 6k, I slipped into 'the zone' and the next 3 or 4k's just slipped by. I was in my head and listening to my music, as the scenery slipped by. I did wonder how the headwind on the way out, became a headwind on the way back however.

I put the dog back on the lead and he helped me up the b*****d hill at 10k. I was listening to a Spotify playlist ('come home happy', which was what I was hoping for) and S Club lifted my spirits with 'Reach' (S Club were my little boy's favourite when he was about 6, so took me back to happy times- he's 26 now and has become very cool despite obsession with S Club :) ).

Turned down the final lane and hit 11k. Even managed a bit of a speed up at the end. I am very proud to report 11.25ks (or 7 MILES!) and I really enjoyed myself. Next weekend is 12k.... Gulp

70 Replies
β€’
Jell6 profile image
Jell6Graduate10

That sounds like a great run, and in today's wind too.πŸŒͺ🌬

β€’ in reply toJell6

Thanks Jell πŸ‘

Knittingrunner profile image
KnittingrunnerGraduate10

Sounds brilliant to me. Well done. 😊

β€’ in reply toKnittingrunner

I can’t quite believe that I did that 😊

Irishprincess profile image
IrishprincessGraduate10

Oh well done Helen! Call it what you will, miles or kilometers, you ran the distance πŸ™‚

It's funny this metric v imperial thing. Although I'm "old school" I've always worked in kms for running but not for anything else although I've now got used to it for gardening. But when I tell my friends "I've run xyz kms" most of them then ask "how many miles is that then?" And you're right they seem to be more impressed about the miles 😏

After the 10 miles mark it's definitely miles though πŸ˜³πŸ™‚πŸ’ͺ

β€’ in reply toIrishprincess

Thanks your majesty πŸ‘

I just set the car distance measuring thingy and drove. 7miles is quite a long way!

Deals1 profile image
Deals1Graduate10β€’ in reply to

yep, i notice this when driving too, especially in road works!!

WELL DONE! 7 Miles! fAB, that happens to be my longest distance too.

good luck with the next one

PS - i use K and miles, but can relate to miles more still

β€’ in reply toDeals1

Where are you heading? 10 miles? HM?.....or the biggie?

Deals1 profile image
Deals1Graduate10β€’ in reply to

no biggies planned as yet.... maybe that's what I need!! would like to be able to do 10 mine tho. what about you?

β€’ in reply toDeals1

10 miles will be plenty!

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10

I was still on primary school when metres, KMs etc came in. Confusing as heck because the country still used Imperial. Then moving around from "Imperial" to "Metric" countries fouled up my brain cells even more, then settling here where is still Imperial....

Anyway - point being....TEN MILES is a great feeling :) It will be worth it, you'll see, "16.09 clicks" just doesn't sound as robust 😊

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate10β€’ in reply toIrish-John

Gallons must be even more confusing πŸ˜‚

Luckily schools now seem to be teaching both.

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10β€’ in reply toUnfitNoMore

Believe me - you don't evywant to know about "quarts" πŸ€ͺ

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate10β€’ in reply toIrish-John

Apparently they’re awkward to get in a pint pot!

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10β€’ in reply toUnfitNoMore

Not if you drink REAL fast! πŸ˜†

β€’ in reply toIrish-John

No I am happier with imperial too. I remember worrying that I would never get the hang of new money!

The lure of 10 miles is tantalising πŸƒπŸΎβ€β™€οΈπŸ˜ŠπŸ‘

GoGo_JoJo profile image
GoGo_JoJoGraduate10

Brilliant! I can't even think in kms apart from 5 and 10k everything else is in miles 🀣🀣🀣

The slow long ones are best! πŸ˜‰πŸ‘ŒπŸ‘

β€’ in reply toGoGo_JoJo

Thanks jojo πŸ‘

theoldfellow profile image
theoldfellow

I bet your 'little boy' thinks you are pretty cool too. (but may not be brave enough to tell you) Anyway, I'm sure you are cool.πŸ‘

β€’ in reply totheoldfellow

Cool? Not so much

Badass? Definitely 😊

Fabulous450 profile image
Fabulous450Graduate10

Fantastic helenwheels!! You have every reason to come home happy!! Congratulations to you!! 😁😁😍❀️

β€’ in reply toFabulous450

Thank you Fabulous

I was pleased to see that you are running again tooπŸ‘

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate10

A really great run... and you will do that 12K... :) Huge well done you!

β€’ in reply toOldfloss

Thanks Floss😊

skysue16 profile image
skysue16Graduate10

Fantastic run - very well done 😊

I agree miles always sounds further πŸ˜‰

Bridget007 profile image
Bridget007

Wow! Well done! 7 miles!!! πŸ˜ƒπŸ‘πŸ»

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate10

Sounds like a nice run.

As for metric units... we never adopted the kilometre, most people have no clue how far 10k is! Doubt we will change back the units we did adopt either.

I was once looking at buying a carpet and was telling the salesman how many feet I needed, and he told me they only sold in in square metres. So, quick calculation and I have my room size in metric... deal almost done and I think about joins, and ask how wide roll was... the answer... 15 feet! πŸ€ͺ. Many packages contain β€œ454 grams” of food... so the metric system didn’t really change anything... or simplify anything but maths class. Of course sometimes there’s no hope... in my local Morrisons at the cheese counter I asked for a pound of the cheddar... the girl behind the counter said she had no idea how much that was... so I said ok, give me half a kilo... she didn’t know how much that was either... I told her she was in the wrong job and wondered off to get some prepacked stuff instead.

I like to run in miles... there’s less of them!

β€’ in reply toUnfitNoMore

πŸ˜‚ yes but it takes such a long time to run one mile

Kilometres slide by much more easily

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate10β€’ in reply to

I’m weird... I often run laps of the junior parkrun course, so they’re almost exactly 1k each, and my updates come in every half mile... so I have the best of both as I notice laps ending and get an update during them.

Coddfish profile image
CoddfishGraduate10

I imagine runners think in kilometres because most events are in kilometres (except marathons and half marathons, which are odd in either currency). If you fancy achieving 10 miles, I would thoroughly recommend signing up for the Great South Run, it’s the only major event I think of that is 10 miles. In Portsmouth, it’s also dead flat (but can be windy).

β€’ in reply toCoddfish

Thanks. I’m not really in to races, and if I did a great run, it would be up north 😊

cheekychipmunks profile image
cheekychipmunksGraduate10

Fantastic helenwheels, that’s impressive and you’re right, miles do sound more β€˜meaty’ than friendly little kms somehow!

Whatever the units, you’re eating them all for breakfast! πŸ’ͺπŸƒβ€β™€οΈ Well done you! πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘

β€’ in reply tocheekychipmunks

Thanks cheeky πŸ˜ŠπŸ‘πŸƒπŸΎβ€β™€οΈ

Sandyscroll profile image
SandyscrollGraduate10

Great run Helen, well done! I've always used miles. It means I only have to translate into Kms for other runners! Around this time last year I had the same goal as you. Unfortunately I got to just over 9 and got an injury, probably from a combination of hills, progressing distance too quickly and, worst of all, ignoring a niggle. πŸ™„ Taking it slowly is the way to go. You can definitely do this!! πŸ˜€πŸ’ͺ

β€’ in reply toSandyscroll

A salutary tale that I will keep in mind πŸ€” I only do slow!

linda9389 profile image
linda9389Graduate10

Go you! Great to have a new goal to aim for, and you're so close already. You will run 10 miles for sure πŸ™‚

β€’ in reply tolinda9389

Thanks. Still need to add another 5k to get there, which seems a bit daunting

linda9389 profile image
linda9389Graduate10β€’ in reply to

Ahh, but luckily you don't have to add 5k .... just 1k, 5 times. And you already know how doable another 1k is πŸ™‚. You've got this πŸƒβ€β™€οΈ

β€’ in reply tolinda9389

You are absolutely right of course πŸ‘

Runsome profile image
RunsomeGraduate10

Excellent job πŸ‘

β€’ in reply toRunsome

Thank you 😊

EmmaRunning profile image
EmmaRunningGraduate10

Definitiely Badass I'd say :-)

β€’ in reply toEmmaRunning

Yeah me too πŸ˜‚

CandyCool profile image
CandyCoolGraduate10

Gosh that’s amazing. I’m waiting to get into a zone!!

β€’ in reply toCandyCool

It is a really weird but good thing

Doesn’t happen to me much, but I really enjoyed it yesterday πŸƒπŸΎβ€β™€οΈ

seaspaniel profile image
seaspaniel

I prefer to say just under 25 furlongs or 248 Chains in old money (groats)

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10β€’ in reply toseaspaniel

Don't forget Perches!! 😊

It might have been in efficient, but loved all those old classifications :) Names just rolled off the tongue :)

seaspaniel profile image
seaspanielβ€’ in reply toIrish-John

Rods and poles as well. I flummoxed someone last week when I explained that a cricket pitch length was 1 chain and was derived from the area a man could plough in a day.

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10β€’ in reply toseaspaniel

I never knew that :)

Mind you, I know nothing about Cricket except I miss watching it on the handful of lovely Summer days I was lucky enough to attend matches in England :)

Watching it is, for me, almost a Zen experience. So calm, peaceful and I never saw anything other than Gentlemanly behavior.

When I lived in Calcutta I was brought to the CCC a few times. Never saw a game there, the full size Billiard table and we'll stocked Bar we're fully utilised though, and to my share I had no idea I was in such a significant place when it comes to the Game.

I did read last year that it's starting to be "discovered" by College kids over here, but it'll never be the same as seeing the green grass grounds of Lord's and a Club I always try to see in Sussex.

Still have no clue about rules or how to read the Scores - I just like watching how graceful it can be. :)

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10β€’ in reply toIrish-John

PS - did you know the Maratime Limit of twelve miles for sea bordering Nations is twelve miles because back in the day that was the furthest distance a ship-fired cannon ball could reach? :)

seaspaniel profile image
seaspanielβ€’ in reply toIrish-John

Good to know. I'm not surprised as you can tell a lot of these measures were based on practicality and accuracy/science came a poor second.

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10β€’ in reply toseaspaniel

The distance between the benches in Parliament were set as the distance between two sword lengths - and when you here the bickering that goes on in there it was VERY practical to set them there πŸ˜‚

seaspaniel profile image
seaspaniel

have you ever noticed that if its hot we say 90 degree's in the heat and if cold it's 0 degrees. Of course one's farenheit and the other is celsius.

seaspaniel profile image
seaspaniel

True story. I was in a meeting with a colleague of about my own age and 3 others from an outside agency negotiating a contract. At one point the lights in the meeting room and elsewhere went off. I said "someone's forgotten to put a shilling in the meter". One of the guest who was French said "what is shilling?. I then quickly explained our old currency of 20 shillings to the pound, and 12 pence to the shilling and therefore 240 pence to the pound. This completely confused everyone except myself and my colleague

After a further discussion about the contract we came to the bit confirming the price. I said "so that's a total value of Β£102,000 Guineas". The French guest said "What is Guineas?". I then explained that this was a shilling and a pound. a pound was 20 shillings made up to 12 pence etc.

My colleague then swore at this and the Frenchman said "What is Firkin?" I said there a 4 firkins in a barrel ......

(last bit not true but it is what I wanted to happen)

Granspeed profile image
GranspeedGraduate10β€’ in reply toseaspaniel

πŸ˜‚ Deeply reminds me of starting teaching when there were a few leftovers to teach outside of decimalised money. I was only 5 years from the USA and barely hanging in there myself with weights & measures. Thank goodness I never had to teach long division of old money!

seaspaniel profile image
seaspanielβ€’ in reply toGranspeed

Ironically the old system was based on being able to divide it up in the first place. So a shilling is easily divisible by 2, 3, 4,6 and a pound by the same plus 5, 8, 10, 12, 18, 20, 24, 40, 48,60, 80, 120 etc. Any combinations of the factors 2, 3, 4, 5 in fact.

And there were also halfpennies and farthings.

Clearly once it goes beyond everyday purchases it all gets a bit tricky. Especially when the weights oz, lbs, st, cwt and tons are thrown in. St or stones is a mystery to me, 14lbs to the stone?

It's probably the weight of cosh required to brain the person who came up with it all.

Granspeed profile image
GranspeedGraduate10β€’ in reply toseaspaniel

A possible upside was that the kids did develop a deep underlying concept of working to bases other than 10. Not sure it was useful to most.... But some supposedly β€œless able” kids were brill with money and weights, so it did stop you classifying them as dim!!! Ah, nostalgia 😊

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10β€’ in reply toseaspaniel

Love it πŸ˜‚πŸ€£πŸ˜‚πŸ€£πŸ˜‚

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10

I miss the sexagesimal system :(

Happy days with my Reed stylus and clay tablet and school pals in Uruk.., not that I'm OLD or anything ladies...😁

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10

Ha'penny, Copper, Thruppence, Sixpenny Bit, Tanner, half florin, florin, Quid, Tenner....

I can see the blank look in kids eyes nowadays :)

seaspaniel profile image
seaspaniel

, Bob, (k)nicker, Monkey, pony........

I've just noticed from this that there is a lot of money based slang. Thruppennies, Copper, A penny short of a shilling (and variations thereof), let's have your tuppence worth, you look like you lost a bob and picked up a shilling etc

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10β€’ in reply toseaspaniel

Half Sov... 20 nicke... Oncer... 'Spending a Penny"...

This is a bit like sitting with the old blokes in the pubπŸ˜‚

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate10β€’ in reply to

As long as you pony up the lolly for the Round - welcome! :) LOL

β€’ in reply toIrish-John

🍻

Mummycav profile image
MummycavAdministratorGraduate10

Wow...super duper distance Hidden whatever it's expressed in!!! I have to admit though, when I ran 5k for the very first time I was dead impressed that I'd run 3 miles...that is a long way!!! And I think that's why I changed to metric because if I thought I had to run by the mile it would seem like yonks...but miles or kms, this is a brilliant run you have under you belt x

β€’ in reply toMummycav

😊 you are going great guns too

ktsok profile image
ktsok

Awesome! Love how 5k can be β€˜standard’ and how 3/4k can just β€˜slip by’. Perfect πŸ™‚

β€’ in reply toktsok

πŸ˜‚ most of my runs are not this good ☹️

ktsok profile image
ktsokβ€’ in reply to

But this one was... bask in it 😊

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